Miniature filamentary numerical display



March 17, 1959 A. R. GARFINKEL Erm;

MINIATURE FILAMENTARY NUMERICAL DISPLAY Filed June 4, 1958 All INVENTOR 5 /uA/v l?. GARIINKEL @m6/o A spnvfLL f /u//A/ 0A/7 ATTORNEY March `17, 1959 A. R.GARF1NKEL ETAL 2,878,413

MINIATURE FILAMENIARY NUMERICAL DISPLAY Filed June 4, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. R. GARFINKEL l- TAL 2,878,418

Marchl?, 1959 MINIATURE FILAMENTARY NUMERICAL4 DISPLAY 'Filed June 4, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 s lNvENTORs l ALAN A. ARF/MMSI:

BY p'VU//L ATTORNEY March 17, 1959 A. R. GARFINKEL ETAL 2,878,418

MINIATURE FILAMENTARY NUMERICAL DISPLAY Filed June 4, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,ffy

neu/nv Ma/vr ,L/y// A BY v l :V1 I l l INVENTORS l A AN P. GmeF//wtz tends out through a bore 32 in the base 20 for connection to a ground. The bore 32 is disposed below an aperture in the metal layer 22 about which the post 15 is hard soldered to the metal layer 22 as indicated at 33. It will therefore be seen that all of the negative posts 15 to 19 are electrically connected together by the metal layer 22, and that they are all adapted to be connected to a common ground through the metal layer 22 and terminal post 15. All of the terminal posts 8 to 19 are preferably, but not necessarily, made of tungsten having a coeicient of expansion substantially the same as that of the ceramic base 20. The upper ends of the terminal posts are all provided with outwardly extending arms 35 through which the filament coils 1 vto 7 are connected to their respective posts.

The coil 1 is connected to and between the positive post 8 and the negative post 15; the coil 2 is connected to and between the positive post 9 and the negative post 15 the coil 3 is connected to and between the positive post 10 and the negative post 16, and the coil 4 is connected to and between the positive post 11 and the negative post 16. It will therefore be seen that the negative post 15 is common to the coils 1 and 2, and that the negative post 16 is common to the coils 3 and 4. The coil 5 is connected to and between the positive post 12 and the negative post 17; the coil 6 is connected to and between the positive post 13 and the negative post 18, and the coil 7 is connected to and between the positive post 14 and the negative post 19. The coils 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all disposed in a common plane which is parallel to and vertically spaced from the upper surface of the base 20; and the coils 5, 6 and 7 are disposed in a common plane which is parallel to the plane of the coils 1 to 4 and is disposed thereabove in vertically spaced relation thereto.

As shown in Fig. 2, the coils 1 and 2 are disposed in axial alignment with each other and extend upwardly at a slightly oblique angle; and the coils 3 and 4 are similarly disposed in laterally spaced parallel relation to the coils 1 and 2. The coils 5, 6 and 7 are disposed transversely of the coils 1 to 4, with the coil 5 extending between the adjacent ends of the coils 1 and 2 and the adjacent ends of the coils 3 and 4. The coil 6 is disposed on one side of the coil in spaced parallel relation thereto; and the coil 7 is disposed on the other side of the coil 5 in spaced parallel relation thereto. The arrangement of the coils 1 to 7 is vtherefore such that they define two adjacent diamond shaped similar parallelograms with the coil 5 common to both. An opaque mask 40, preferably black surfaced copper or tin, is disposed over the filament coils 1 to 7 in spaced parallel relation thereto. The mask 40 is provided with downturned flanges 41 and 42 at the upper and lower ends thereof by which the mask is permanently secured to the base 20 in fixed position by hard soldering the lower ends of the flanges 41 and 42 to the complementary metal layers 23 and 24, respectively, which are bonded to the base 20. The mask 40 is provided with window means 43 vcomprising elongated narrow slots 1', 2', 3', 4', 5', 6' and 7', which are disposed over and in vertically spaced parallel alignment with the incandescent filament coils 1 to 7, and are aranged to dene two adjacent diamond shaped parallelograms which are coextensive with the parallelograms defined by the coils 1 to 7. As shown by Figs. 1 and 2, the slot 1 is disposed over andis coextensive with the portion of the coil 1 which extends between the coils 5 and 6; the slot 2 is disposed over and is coextensive with the portion of the coil 2 extending between the coils 5 and 7; the slot 3 is disposed over and is coextensive with the portion of the coil 3 extending between the coils 5 and 6; the slot 4 is disposed over and is coextensive with the portion of the coil 4 extending between the coils 5 and 7; the slot 5' is disposed over and is coextensive with the portion of the coil 5 extending between the adjacent ends of the coils 1 and 2 and the adjacent ends of the coils 3 and 4; the slot 6' is disposed over and is coextensive with the portion of the coil 6 extending between the coils 1 and 3, and the slot 7 is disposed over and is coextensive with the portion of the coil 7 extending between the coils 2 and 4. Whenever any coil 1 to 7 is energized a narrow line of light therefrom will be projected through the associated slots 1 to 7'.

The whole assembly thus far described is enclosed in a transparent envelope 45, preferably glass, which is hermetically sealed to the metalizing 25 around the periphery of the base 2 and evacuated.

The manner in which various combinations of incandescent lament coils 1 to 7 are energized to illuminatingly display each of the numerals zero (0) to nine (9) as shown in Fig. 8 will now be described. For the numeral one (1) the coils 3 and 4 are energized; for the numeral two (2) the coils 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 are energized; for the numeral three (3) the coils 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are en ergized; for the numeral four (4) the coils 1, 3, 4 and 5 are energized; for the numeral five (5) the coils 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are energized; for the numeral six (6) the coils 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are energized; for the numeral seven (7) the coils 3, 4 and 6 are energized; for the numeral eight (8) all of the coils 1 to 7 are energized; for the numeral nine (9) the coils 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are energized, and for zero (O) the coils 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 are energized.

In use either only one display device as shown herein or a plurality thereof arranged side by side in a row may be used. It all depends on the particular use. If nutnbers greater than 9 are to be displayed a plurality of units are used, and the number of units to be used is dependent upon the number of digits in the highest number to be displayed.

In Fig. 9 We have shown 'a slightly different type of window means 43 in the mask 40, through which light from energized coils is projected. As shown therein We substitute a single rectangular window 50 for the window slots 1' to 7. The window 50 is of such a size as to encompass only such sections of the coils 1 to 7 as are utilized in forming numerals. The window 50 extends from slightly above the coil 6 to slightly below the coil 7, and from the outside of the coils 1 to 2 to the outside of the coils 3 and 4. The unused sections of the coils 1 and 3 above the coil 6, and the unused sections of the coils 2 and 4 below the coil 7 are therefore blocked out.

In Fig. 10 we have shown a translucent plate 51, having a light diffusing surface, applied to the top of the mask 40. The plate 51 is preferably ground glass and may be used with either the window means shown in Fig. 1 or that shown in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 11 we have shown a modification of the display device in which the need for a mask to block out unused sections of the coils is eliminated. In this form of the device the positive terminal posts 8 to 14 and negative terminal posts 15 to 19 for the coils 1 to 7 respectively, constitute heat sinks which are operative to prevent incandescence of the unused end sections 52 and/or 53 of a coil. Therefore only that section of a coil which is used in forming a numeral will be rendered incandescent when a coil is energized. As in the other forms of the invention, this form is enclosed in the evacuated envelop 45. Also the translucent plate 51 may be used therewith if desired. I

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that Ywe have provided a very simple and efficient numeral display device which .accomplishes the objects of the invention.

It is to be understood that we are not limited to the specific construction shown and described herein, as various modications may be made therein within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. For instance, the device may be any size and not necessarily the minute size described herein. Also the adjacent parallelograms defined by the filament coils may be square instead of diamond shaped as shown .El herein. Furthermore, electroluminescence, catholuminescence, or gaseous glow phenomena may be substituted for the incandescent filament coils shown and described herein; and the plane of the coils 1 to d, and the plane of the coils 5 to 7 may be reversed.

What is claimed is:

1. A numerical display device of the character described comprising a non-conductive impervious base, a plurality of filament coils arranged to define two vertically disposed adjacent similar parallelograms with one of said coils being common to both of said parallelograms, a pluarity of positive and negative terminal posts by which said coils are supported in fixed position, each of said coils being secured to and between the upper ends of a positive and negative terminal post, said terminal posts being secured to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said coils being adapted to be selectively energized through said terminal posts to illuminatingly display a selected numeral, an opaque mask secured to said base and disposed over said coils, a window in said mask through which light from said coils is projected, and a transparent evacuated envelope in which said coils and said masks are enclosed, said envelope being hermetically sealed to said base.

2. A numerical display device .as defined by claim 1 in which all of said positive terminal posts extend through said base for connection to sources of electrical energy, and in which said negative terminal posts are all connected together by a thin metallic layer bonded to said base with only one of said negative posts extending through said base for connection to a ground.

3. A numerical display device as deined by claim 2 in which said positive and negative terminal posts constitute heat conduction elements which are operative to prevent incandescence of the end section of said coils when said coils are energized.

4. A numerical display device as defined by claim l in which a translucent plate having a light diffusing surface is disposed over said mask within said envelope.

5. A numerical display device of the character described comprising a non-conductive impervious base, a plurality of similar filament coils one pair of which are disposed in upwardly extending axial alignment with each other, a second pair of which are similarly disposed in spaced parallel relation to said one pair, said other coils being horizontally disposed in a plane spaced from and parallel to the plane of said upwardly extending coils with one of said other coils being disposed in horizontal alignment with and extending between the adjacent ends of said one pair of coils and said second pair of coils, and the other of said other coils being disposed in spaced parallel relation to said one other of said other coils, one on each side thereof and extending between said one pair of coils and said second pair of coils, a plurality of positive and negative terminal posts by which said coils are supported in fixed position, each of said coils being secured to and between the upper ends of a positive and negative terminal post, said terminal posts being secured to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said coils being adapted to be selectively energized through said terminal posts to illuminatingly display a selected numeral, an opaque mask secured to said base and disposed over said coils, a window in said mask through which light from said coils is projected, and a transparent evacuated envelope in which said coils and said mask are enclosed, said envelope being hermetically sealed to said base.

6. A numerical display device as defined by claim 5 in which all of said positive terminal posts extend through said base for connection to sources of electrical energy, and in which said negative terminal posts are all connected together by a thin metallic layer bonded to said base with only one of said negative posts extending through said base for connection to a ground.

7. A numerical display device as defined by claim 6 in which said positive and negative terminal posts constitute heat conduction elements which are operative to prevent incandescence of the end section of said coils when said coils are energized.

8. A numerical display device as dened by claim 5 in which a translucent plate having a light diffusing surface is disposed over said mask within said envelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 573,088 Hawkins Dec. l5, 1896 740,585 OBrien Oct. 6, 1903 1,156,967 Appleyard Oct. 19, 1915 1,428,424 Fehler Sept. 5, 1922 1,819,690 Rieker Aug. 18, 1931 2,735,038 Hancock Feb. 14, 1956 FORElGN PATENTS 210,289 Great Britain Feb. 4, 1924 

